Wichita eagle., 1887-10-22
THE CRIMSON SCARF.
sHow old did you sayr asked the COM
mander- in-chief.

mander- in-chef.
nineteen"
"And the manr
"a little older"
The commander-in-chief pulled his cigar at
thoughtful intervals The war was by TWEEN
ty-two years thing OF the past. bu. as head
of a great commercial enterprise a military
title still chung TO him from out OF his war
experience, and be did not dislike it, for some
of his war memories appeared to be bis most
cherished mental treasures So be debated
with his cigar over the two young people
who sentimental rashness had brought them
into public notice, and as he debated be was
looking backward over the diverse panorama
Of two decades Of life. through the rifted
drama that seemed almost a dream, but
which to him was, perhaps, the best remem
bered incident Of all the five years fight
And when be told it, half musingly. the listen
ers did not wonder The ways OF fate are
very diverse, and it sometimes happens to the
least imaginative In the madding crowd that
Q face which is looked into only for a moment
is never forgotten in all the length Of the
years that follow. Perhaps it was so with
the commander-in-chief Perhaps not. In
any event, nobody dared to ask
sin the fall Of 1868" be began, Il was sta
toned with a detachment at Paint Rock Ala
We were drawing on the enemy for supplies;
foraging, in fact. Our crackers and hard
tack we got from Stevenson, but for fodder
for our horses and anything to add sumptu-
business to the appearance Of the trying pan
We had to depend on the country. For some
weeks had sent out the wagon train TO the
east, the southeast and down the valley Of the
Paint Rock creek. The only direction left
for investigation was the vest, where at u
distance of twenty one miles. was Huntsville.
then the capital of northern Alabama. which,
up to the time Of the war. had been wealthy
aristocratic and fashionable city Well. one
pleasant morning sent the wagons across
che creek and followed them with a guard of
twenty men. 1t was reported from time to
time that the country ahead Of US was full Of
guerrillas, but we saw no signs Of them. and
for two months had no trouble whatever with
any foe.
"After crossing the creek the wagons took
. road which wound along the foot Of spur
at the Blue Ridge mountains, which rose
green, heavily wooded and picturesque at our
backs. We passed several small clearings
and plantations. whose log houses we're filled
with hot blooded and hot tempered southern
women. whose evident desire to DAY US with
their fingeinails rather interfered with that
sweet spirit Of hospitality for which the south
Il famous. At distance Of seven miles I
halted the deta chment at u cool but sinister
looking place i'll the road. known to all the
country round about as the Gap
"'The Cap the entrance to a pass
through one ri the outlying mountain spurs
It was a deep hollow. heavily wooded The
dense growth of towering pines and frs grew
close to the roadside The woody spaces were
- fllei with undergro With and blocked by
fallen trees that as you ',ered into the dark
reces,es of the forest IN either side a hostile
army might have been sheltered there with
out your being able to perceive q button !
remember til. looks OF the place, because the
first time saw 1t it made me rather uneasy,
and the last time but one that saw it l
came near staying there for good, as did. in
fact, some other poor fellows who were not
% fortunate
SWELL after Q rest we kept on. and a few
miles further Wa came On plantation Of $50
acres with large and comfortable looking
residence near the roadside The wagons had
reached there long before US They we're
being rapidly filled from row of well stored
corncribs at the back Of the house l had just
gotten off my horse near the door when two
girls came toward me. and il were not tell
ing this story, gentlemen, | would honestly
declare that they were the two prettiest girls
! ever saw in my life.
"They were both tall and slender. with
graceful and womanly figures. They were
dressed in dark blue calico, and had no arti-
hcial aids to their fresh young beauty. Their
faces were intelligent and full Of resolution,
yet marked by that shyness which belongs to
girls who are well born and bred in coupar-
alive seclusion. The elder Ellen, was dark
eyed and dark haired A4Gie was Il, two
years younger than her sister. and yellow
haired and blue eyed blonde. The apparition
they presented astonished US. think all the
men took of their hats instinctively. | know
did And as my hat was real Mexican
sombrero, and matched the long Mexican
spurs that jDgled on my heels. was rather
fond of keeping it on my bead
ut was Ellen who spoke, the other staying
Q little behind Sir she said, in troubled
voice, YOU look like q gentleman. One of
your men has taken our guitar IL is all that
we have left, and it is great consolation
Will you not lie good enough to have i. re-
turnedr
THE guitar vas returned to her forth with
q quickly rs the man could be found who
had it She was profuse in her thanks. and
the light in the younger sisters eyes at The
salvation of the instrument indicated how
highly it was valued The corn and supplies
they did not appear TO grieve over partic-
ularly as | prevented any destruction OF the
cribs or unnecessary damage to the property.
Consequently ] was very Hospitality received
in the house The family consisted Of an old
gentleman named Sunderland his wife and
three daughters Sunderland was well &c
do planter, though too old to take arms. BE
was doctor by profession and Methodist
preacher by choice His family circle was,
In its refinement and the beauty Of the girls
something charming, particularly tos borsf
soldier who for some years bad known only
the roughness OF the camp. The eldest
daughter was married. her husband being d
captain in the Confederate army. The cthe'
two were our fair petitioners. and with then
/ enjoyed . catering degree Of popularity
from the start
The commander.in-chiefs stopped and gazed
with a satisfied smile into the Alabama oi
twenty years ago.
Well" be said- picking up the thread Of
the story, Il need only say that their fate wa'
In my bands, that I'll b fair In love and war
and that from that day forth l simply owned
the place, cznesldA, niggers, guitArs and
Nsthodiss prsacAAr., I'll inciudsd And, gen
tsrnenr-and he dwelt With sous partic-